“A positive parent-teacher relationship helps your child feel good about school and be successful in school” by Diane Levin, Ph.D.

One of the most important things a school can do to help raise student achievement scores is getting parents involved. There needs to be a partnership between school and parents, working together to better the students academic lives. How can you get parents involved? Below are my top 5 ways.

1. Ask: Often times educators don’t ask parents about volunteering because they don’t want to impose on a parent. Using a site like SignUp Genius, allows parents to sign up for what they feel comfortable doing and have time for. Having multiple volunteer opportunities from brining in snacks, to helping with filing, to creating a bulletin board gives all parents options.

2. Website: Every educator should have a website that has basic information for the parents such as grading polices, helpful websites and class schedule. Embed calendars so parents can record upcoming events, assignments and dates to check to help their children’s progress is also beneficial. If your school doesn’t supply you with a website option, you can create free owns with Weebly, Google Sites or Wix.

3. Social Media: Communication is huge in getting parents involved and having a school Facebook Page and Twitter is a great way for parents to stay updated. Don’t believe me: check out these Facebook Stats. Here is a schools Faceebook page from Charlotte, NC: Grand Oak Elementary and a Twitter Page from New Jersey: New Milford HS.

4. Workshops: Having professional development for parents helps them feel comfortable with curriculum and programs helps build trust. An example of workshops that you can have are BYOT or Common Core so parents can see how they are implemented.

5. Having a Space for Parents: Designing a space for parents helps parents feel welcomed and apart of the school. This space also allows the parents to help the school or teacher without getting in the way of the students learning.